The Conservatives have accused the government of leaving voters feeling angry, frightened and betrayed by their management of the NHS.

In a Commons opposition day debate, Tory health spokesman Dr Liam Fox said the government of "utter complacency" in its attitude towards the health service.

Earlier, Tory leader William Hague said during a visit to a London hospital that patients faced a lottery over whether they would receive treatment.

He has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy calling for an end to the "discouragement" in the tax system for people taking out private health insurance, arguing that tax relief on private medical contributions could help expand the overall level of health provision.

Alan Milburn: Accused of contempt

But the prime minister's official spokesman said such policies were evidence of a "clear right-wing agenda to promote arguments that the NHS cannot be sustained".

The Tory offensive comes as the government tries to stem criticism over ongoing hospital intensive care beds shortages and Mr Blair's weekend admission that overall NHS funding was "too low".

The Tories have also accused ministers of failing to stump up enough cash to pay for the above-inflation pay rises awarded to nurses and other NHS staff on Monday.

William Hague's letter calls for:

The NHS to be less political with increased funding

Patients to be treated according to clinical need

Partnership between NHS and independent sector

Dr Fox said: "This is the NHS the prime minister told voters they had 24 hours to save just before the election.

"Three years into his government people are asking what has gone wrong.

"The people he made promises feel angry, they feel frightened but above all they feel betrayed."

In the middle of a flu epidemic, "we have discovered the world's fifth biggest economy's health system can be brought to its knees by something cyclical, predictable and common", Dr Fox continued.

Mr Milburn had reacted to this by insisting the health service was coping extremely well, said Dr Fox.

"It's not coping extremely well. This is utter complacency," he continued.

"The only reason the NHS is running at all is because of the Herculean effort of the staff of the National Health Service to which we all pay the greatest credit."

A pay award for NHS staff was announced on Monday

Turning to address Monday's announcement of a pay increase for NHS staff, Dr Fox said it had been brought forward as a "panic measure" and nurses and doctors had immediately spotted it was not accompanied by no extra funding.

Dr Fox urged the government to end its "utter dislike" of independent health care and open up negotiations to allow the independent sector to work with the NHS.